Canyon Ranch: Chinese 7 Vegetable Salad with Lemon Miso Dressing

I am sharing with you my only gently adjusted recipe for Canyon Ranch's unbelievably tasty and filling seven vegetable salad because it is a fabulous easy-transport option for light-fare picnics. And since picnics will be the subject of the day at Blushing Hostess Entertains, I thought you should have this as another great option in the salad category: Home or away.

Chinese Seven Vegetable Salad with Lemon Miso Dressing
adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooks, Barry Corriea and Scott Uehlein (St. Martin's Press)
serves 4

The original recipe calls for snow peas, which I do not care for. In the interest of not adjusting the name of Canyon Ranch's recipe, I continue to call it "seven" although mine is six. Secondly, the original called for the romaine to be placed under the sauteed veg, rather than tossed with it. I prefer it all quickly tossed together and dressed as I have noted below.

Enjoy!

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon grass, minced
2 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce

Salad:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots,sliced
1 1/2 cups red onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
(1 cup snow peas, which I omit)
1 cup sliced zucchini, sliced
1 cup yellow squash, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cup bok choy, chopped
1 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped in bite size pieces

Lemon Miso Dressing (16 servings):
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons water, divided
3 tablespoons white miso paste
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 12 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh parsely

For the salad dressing:

In a small bowl, mix dry mustard with 1 tablespoon water until the mixture forms a smooth paste.

In a separate bowl mix miso paste with remaining 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.

In the blender, combine lemon and apple juices and vinegar. Add the mustard paste and rice vinegar. Add the mustard paste and ginger. Bled for 10 seconds on low. Add the garlic, lemon peel, parsley, and miso paste. Blend on high for 10 seconds or until smooth. Pour into a jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to one week.

For the salad:

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat until mixture is simmering and and allow to reduce to about 1/2 cup.

Heat the canola oil in a wok over high heat. Add carrots, red onion, and broccoli, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add zucchini, squash, mushrooms (and snow peas if you are using them and stir fry 30 more seconds. Add bok choy and sauce and stir fry until until all vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Remove the skillet from the heat and very quickly, toss in the romaine lettuce. Drizzle each with 1/4 cup lemon miso dressing.